Vacuum-cleaner apparatus



April 1930- H. c. LINN 1,756,204

VACUUM ,CLEANER APPARATUS I Filed Dec. 16. 1926 Fi .1. s1

INVEIYTOR. Herman C.Lmn

'ATTOR Patented Apr. 29, 1930:

- U E STATE AT-N ICE HERMAN c. LINN, or CLEVELAND,- onIo, assrenong roWILLIAM F; jnAwLINes, or

' CLEVELAND, onro j. v

p vacuum-c airmen APPARATUS Application med December 16, 1926.Seria1.No. 155,279.'

This inventionn-relating as .gindicated to vacuum cleaning apparatus ismore particularly directed to animproved vacuum clean- .ing device foruse inmotor vehicles wherein l gthe suction existing in thetintakemanifold of the engine is'utilized to create the vacuum. I e The primaryobject of the invention is to I providefai cleaning' or di'rt'separatingchamber having a connection to such engine intake manifoldandanother.connectioninthe form of a flexible tube to which .is attached a.suction nozzle.v Preferablyithe chamber and its connections are formedto be mounted dlrectlyi 'upon the vehicle in ;an1inconspicuOLls positionsuchfas undertheinstrument board-or 1 within] the engine chamber on the,front side of thec owl board. A further objectlisto con 'structthechamber of transparent material so asl to permit inspection of theinterior 'thereqfand to provide. a detachable connection liipon' thechamberl'proper whereby] the same may beeasily removed from its mountingindependently of the intake and flexible I hose connectionslj f Afurther object of the invention is'topro- "vide Within the chamberacleaning agent which not only prevents any;"dirt from being drawntheretlir'ough into the intake-1 manifoldbut whiohimaintainsubstantially con- .30. stant the velocity of the inrushing air duringthe cleaningpr'ocess'. To the accomplishment of the foregoing andrelated ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinflafterfully deseribedf and particularly pointed out in the claims; I d I V,The annexed drawing. and the following description set forth in detailcertain'mechanism 1 embodying. the invention," such dis I 2,. a,.det-ailviewin perspective 'of' one of the dirt filtering elements Fig.. 3, alongitudinal sectionf-through the suction nozzle. and .one

"end its flexible. hoseconnection Fig. {1,

closed means constituting; however; but one of the variousimechanicalforms in which a sectional view taken on line of Fig. 3';

and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a'locking ring employed in the presentconstruction.

As indicated in the accompanying drawing,' the present illustratedembodiment of the invention about to be described consists of Va vacuumcleaning device adaptedto be permanently mounted upon-a motor vehicle.

Irwin be of" coursebe obvious that the invention is capable'of beingincorporated Referring to ig.1, thengine is indicated bolts '15. The.underside of the bracket is formed with anannular recess 16 in whichisreceivable the upper end of a cleaning or dirt.

separating chamber ,17 to be presently de-' scribed. Communicating withsuch annular v recess 16 through a threaded hole 18*in the.

bracket '13 is a connection19 here shown as a short pipenipple towhichis attached one end of a conduit 20. [The otherend .of such conduit isattached through .a shutoff valve 21 to the intake manifold 110, suchvalve being provided With a handle or thumb screw 22 for manualoperation. W 5

The recess 16 referred to above internally screw threaded and the upperend of the cleaningchamber is formed with external screw threads 24.whereby the latter member 25-.maye'mployed as shown to lock thechamv beragainst turning inthe'bracket. .f A packing washer 26 is insertedIbetweena flange 27 on the chamber 17 and-thelower edge .28 of theflange portion surrounding'uthe.recess 16 to establish an air-'tightointbetween the recess and thev interior of the chamber. v

Provided in the flange 14 is a second threaded hole 29 which is arrangedcentrally of therecess 16 and fixedrin the upper portion thereof is apipe nipple30. In the lowenend of said hole is screwed a depending tube3 1, the same extending interiorlypf; the-chamber other types. ofvvacuum cleaning apparatus 'than one specifically constructed for usel inautomobiles.

,may be quickly attached to or detaphed from the supporting bracket 13.-A thumb screw I the cleaning chamber.

17. To the pipe is attached one end of a flexible hose 32 which carriesat its outer end a vacuum nozzle 33.

As has been previously stated, my invention contemplates the provisionof a cleaning or dirt separating agent to be interposed in the vacuumline of the present device which serves both to remove the dirt from theair drawn through the conduit 32 to the intake manifold and to regulateor maintain con-- panding ring 38 having finger engaging pro jections39' and receivable within a groove 40 in the cylinder is utilized todetachably secure said latter member. to the head 36. The lower end 41of the cylinder 37 is adapted to lie closely adjacent the bottom ofchamber 17. In the lower portion of the verticalwall of the cylinder areprovided a number of spaced holes 42. V The cleaningagent, which in thepresent instanceis a fluid, is placed in the bottom of the chamber 17and rises to a level about the holes 42 so that an air cell isestablishedbetween the interior of the cylinder 37 and the vacuumconduit 20.

The holes 42 referred to above are spaced around the periphery of thecylinder wall and serve to evenly distribute the inrushing dirt-ladenair into the fluid surrounding such cylinder. Hence the cleaning elementis permitted to function in a very efficient manner. Also the size andnumber of the holes 42 may bevaried to provide more or less resistanceto the air, being drawn through the cleaning Positioned within thecylinder 37 is afloat 43 consisting of an annular ring of cork or otherbuoyant material and one or more layers ofscreen 44. This float conformsin size to the inner dimension of the cylinder and is prevented fromfalling beneath the'level of the uppermost of the holes 42 by theannular shoulder or rib 45 provided on the inner side of such cylinder.7 In operation the float just described serves to preventany largeparticles ofdirt from entering the fluid in the "lower end of thecylinder; the mesh of such screen being smallerthan the diameter ofholes 42. As seen from Fig. 1, the cylinder .37 is considerably smallerthan the inner diameter of the chamber 17 and the greater bulk of theliquid is confined in the annular f pocket between such members. A float46 in the form of a ring is positioned on the top of the column ofliquid between the cylinder 37 sta emate-r17.

In the operation of the present novel device the air drawn through theconduit 32 is passed downwardly through the tube 31 into the upperportion of cylinder 37 where the particles of dirt too large to passthrough the holes 42 are separated by the screen 44. From there the airpasses downwardly through the liquid in the lower end of the cylinderwhere still more of the dirt is removed from the air column, after whichtime the air passes outwardly through the openings 42 into the liquidsurrounding such cylinder. In the process of passing the air I throughthe liquid in the cylinder 37 and in the chamber 17, it is found thatthe dirt is thoroughly agitated and emulsified in such liquid. The float46 serves to aid in breaking up the air bubbles which strike its underside and to evenly distribute the flow of air through the liquid aroundits inner and outer, peripheries. v 7

Battle plate 47 may be employed at the upper end of the chamber tocollect and break up any liquid containing fog or spray which is formedby the passage of air through the liquid and allow the same to return tothe chamber and flow over this plate and then down the walls of theouter container. The baflie plate is shown in the form of a metallicplate provided withan upturned flange 48 fitting the upper portion ofthe recess 16 and having a central opening 49 of slightly largerdiameter than that of'the tube 31 passing therethrough. g

It has also been previously mentioned'that one of the objects of thisinvention is to construct the chamber 17 of transparent material. In theembodiment illustrated in the drawing, the chamber 17 is indicated asbeing formed of glass through which the interior thereof may be visibleto determine the condition of the liquid carried therein. .Wh'en thisliquid is seen to be veryclouded or thickly emulsified. by the dirtcoming through the conduit 32, the thumb screw 25 is loosened and thechamber mav be unscrewed from its mounting and the liquid changed.During this process, the ring 38 is compressed and thecylinder 37removed for suitable cleaning.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is illustrated an improved type of suction nozzle to beutilized in 'connection with the device described above. To the end offlexible hose 32 is secured a hollow connection 50 whichserves as ahandle for the vacuum nozzle 51 formed integrally therewith. The nozzle51 is of conventional shape havingan increasing area from the opening inthe'handle 50 to the lower end. 52 thereof.- In such lower end 52'ismounted a cylindrical agitating brush 53. Theaxisof such brush is formedby a twisted wire which has its ends 54 received in'holes 55in the sidesof the tacting surface of the nozzle and as this portlon becomes Worn,the screws 56 are loosenedcand an unused portion of the flush is the oneexplained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed,provided the means stated by any of the following claims or theequivalent of such'stated means be employed. l

I therefore particularlypoint out and distinctly claim as myinvention 1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination ofa chamber adapted to receive liquid therein and having a discharge port,a second chamber also adapted to receive liquid chamber and having aclosed bottom and a multiplicity of small openings in its lateral Walls,ner chamber, a float disposed in said firstnamed chamber andsubstantially closing the prislng and mounted within said first-named aninlet conduit connected to said ining the end of the spacebetween saidinner and outer chambers, a second float mounted in said inner chamber,said second float coman annular ring of cork, or the like, fittingclosely within said inner chamber and carrying a disk of foraminousmaterial, and

a shoulder Within said inner chamber adapted to prevent said secondfloat from falling below the level of the uppermost of said small HERMANC. LINN.

end of the space between said inner and outer I chambers, and a bafliemounted between the surface of said liquid and said discharge port toprevent the discharge of liquid through said port. a n- 2. In apparatusof thecharacter described, the combination of a chamber adapted toreceive liquid therein and having a discharge port, a second chamberalso adapted to re ceive liquid. and mounted Within saidfirstnamedchamber andhaving a closed bottom and a-multiplicity of smallopenings in its lateral Walls, an inlet conduit connected to said innerchamber, and an imperforate float disposed in said first-named chamberand substantially closing the end of the space between said inner andouter chambers.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a chamberadapted to receive liquid therein and having a discharge port, a secondchamber also adapted to receive a liquid and IHOUIltGd Within saidfirst-named chamber and having a closed bottom and a multiplicity 7Walls, an inlet conduit connected tosaid inner chamber, a float disposedin said firstnamed chamber and substantially closing the end of thespace-between said inner and outer chambers, and a second float mountedin said'inner chamber and carrying a screen through which air from saidinlet conduit must pass before contacting said liquid. 11:;

or 4. In apparatus of the character. described,

the combination of a chamber adapted tore- Fceive liquid therein andhaving a discharge port, a second chamber also adapted to receive liquidand mounted Within said cfirstnamed chamber and having a closed bottomand a multiplicity of small openings in its lateral Walls, an inletconduit connected to said inner chamber, afloat disposed in saidfirst-named chamber and substantially clos= of. small openings in itslateral

